Why did Putin engage in federal reform as his immediate priority on coming to power? What were the main aspects of his policy?

Following the break-up of the hyper centralized Soviet Union, there was fragmentation among Russia's regions, and contesting definitions of sovereignty. Under Yeltsin there was an asymmetrical growth in the federal authorities, with regions being given free reign so long as secession was not threatened. This principle of granting local privileges in return for loyalty was not a new concept; indeed it was practiced by the Ottoman and Hapsburg empires. However this tolerance of regional governance …

…Sakwa R.. Putin: Russia's Choice. Routledge. 2004. Slider, D. "Russia's Market-Distorting Federalism," Post-Soviet Geography and Economics, 1997, vol. 38, no. 8. Stoner-Weiss, K. Russian Federalism and Regionalism. Princeton University. 1997 Stoner-Weiss, K. Central weakness and provincial autonomy: observations on the devolution process in Russia. 1999 Stoner-Weiss, K. W(h)ither the Central State? The Regional Sources of Russia's Stalled Reforms. Working Paper. 1999. Teague, E. 2002. Putin reforms the federal system. In: Ross, C. (Ed.), Regional Politics in Russia. Manchester University Press, Manchester.